Educational



Patented Apr. 25, I899. T. PATERSON.

EDUCATIONAL APPLIANCE.

(Application filed Aug. 11, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

I y r V gay/ ig??? v THE scams PETERS co vnowaumm WASHINGTON D c No. 623,558. v Patented Apr. 25, I899. T. PATERSON.

EDUCATIONAL APPLIANCE.

(Application filed Aug. 11, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' THOMAS PATERSON, OF PETERBOROUGH, CANADA.

EDUCATIONAL APPLIANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,558, dated April 25,- 1899.

Application filed August 11, 1898. Sen'al No. 688,377- (NO modem To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS PATERSON, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Peterborough, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Oanada,haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Educational Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to educational appliances, and contemplates the provision of a cheap and simple appliance through the medium of which a child may be quickly and easily taught by sight and sound to read a timepiece and tell the time.

The invention also contemplates the provision of a combined educational appliance and musical toy and one which is constructed in such a manner that it is adapted to display educational matter, such as the letters of the alphabet, pictures of birds and animals, and names and sentences.

IVith the foregoing in View the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims, when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my improved appliance with the cover in its open position. Fig. 2 is a section taken in the'plane indicated by the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. an inverted plan view of the dial-plate and the parts carried thereby. Fig. 4. is a perspective view of a modification, the same being shown as closed. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the same when open.

Referring by letter to said drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 thereof, A is the case of my improved applian ce,whic h may be of wood, tin, or other material and of any desired form, although I prefer to make it in the form of a cube, as illustrated. Such case comprises a hollow body a and a cover I),

the latter being connected to the former by hinges c and being removably secured in its closed position by a catch cl, as shown in Fig. 2. On the cover I) is a handle e, which serves to facilitate the raising of the cover and also serves as a handhold when it is desired to shake or swing the appliance, for a purpose presently described.

B is a plate or block which is arranged and suitably supported in the upperportion of the case-body a after the manner better illus- Fig.3is.

trated in Fig. 2 and is provided with a central depression f and a clock-dial g at the bottom of said depression. At the underside of the said plate B is arranged a horizontallydisposed coiled-wire gong O and a hammer D. The gong O is connected at one end to a hanger h, depending from the plate B, and has its opposite end free, while the hammer D is arranged on the depending branch t' of a horizontally-disposed resilient arm E, the said hammer being normally disposed below the gong and the main portion of the resilient arm E above the same, as illustrated.

F is the hour-hand, which is arranged in the depression f of plate B and is fixed to a vertically-disposed sleeve j, journaled in the center of said plate, and G is the minute-hand, fixed to a shaft or arbor k, which is journaled in and extends through the sleeve j and plate B, as shown. The said shaft or arbor 7c is journaled also in a guide Z, depending from plate B, and is adapted to be rotated and moved vertically, for a purpose presentlydescribed. It is returned to and normally held in the position shown in Fig. 2 by a spring an, interposed between its collar n and the guide 7.3, and is provided with a tappet p, normally disposed above the hammer-arm E, as shown. When the tappet p is depressed, the resilient hammer-arm E will be engaged and slightly depressed by the rounded under side thereof, and will then slip off said rounded under side and carry the hammer against the gong. On the up movement of the tappet its beveled upper portion enables itto pass and assume a position above the hammer-arm without moving said arm sufficiently to sound the gong.

In the practice of the invention when it is depressed a number of times, corresponding t0 the number denoted by the figure or sets of figures. For instance, when the hour-hand is pointed to the figure 1 the shaft K is depressed once, and when said hand points tothe number 2 the shaft 7a is depressed twice, and so on. At each depression of the shaft 70 the tappet 10 thereon will strike the arm E of the hammer D and will press the same down a slight distance, when the arm will escapefrom the tappet by reason of the beveled lower end (1 thereof, and in rebounding will carry the hammer D forcibly against the inner portion of the gong, and thereby cause a sound. On the up movement of the shaft the tappet p, by reason of its upper beveled portion 7, will ride past the arm E without moving the same. When the hour-hand is pointed to the figure or figures denoting a certain hour and the hour is struck in the manner described, a child is amused and its attention is engaged, with the result that the lesson remains fixed in its mind and it is able in a short time, by both sight and sound, to understand the hour of the day when a clock strikes.

In teaching a child to tell the exact time the hour-hand is pointed to a figure or figures denoting a certain hour, and after the hour is struck the minute-hand is caused to slowly make one complete revolution, the graduations of the dial being carefully explaine'din the meantime until they are fixed in the mind of the child.

hen the appliance is held by its handle 0 and swung or shaken, the spring '0 will vibrate and give forth a musical rin gin gsound, which will afford considerable amusement to a child.

I prefer in practice to cover the outside of the case A with educational matter, such as the letters of the al phabet,pictures,and names of birds and animals, (lac. I also prefer to 'print the divisions of time, together with directions how to use the appliance, on the inside of the cover I). I have not deemed it necessary, however, to illustrate such matter, as matter of any kind may be placed on the case or it may be left plain, as desired.

In Figs. 4; and 5 I have illustrated a modified form of a case A, the same being in the form of a globe, with its body (1, loosely mounted on an axis .5, which terminates in a suitable handle a. The top Z) of this case A is recessed, as indicated by u, to receive a plurality of disks n, which are loosely connected together, as shown, to permit of them being superposed in the recess a when the case is to be closed. Said disks are designed to bear educational matter-such as numbers, sentences, divisions of time, directions of use, the. but I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate the same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In an educational appliance, the combination of a plate bearing a dial on its face, a gong disposed at one side of the plate, an endwise-movable and rotary shaft journaled in the plate and carrying a hand and a tappet, and a hammer-arm arranged in the path of the tappet on the shaft, substantially as specified.

2. In an educational appliance, the combination of aplate bearing a dial on its face, a

gong disposed at the back of the plate, a hammer carried by a resilient arm connected to the plate and arranged to strike the gong, a minute-hand having a sleeve journaled in the plate, an endWise-movable and rotary shaft extending through said sleeve and journaled in the plate and carrying a hand at the front side of the plate and a tappet at the back side of the same, and a spring for returning the shaft to its normal position, substantially as specified.

3. In an educational appliance, the combination of a plate bearing a dial on its face, a coiled-wire gong disposed at the back of the plate, an endwise-movable and rotary shaft journaled in the plate and carrying a hand at the front side of the plate and a tappet at the back side of the same; said tappet having its upper and lower-portions beveled, a spring for returning the shaft to its normal position, and a hammer carried by a resilient arm connected to the plate and arranged in the path of the tappet on the shaft, substantially as specified.

4:. In a combined toy and educational appliance, the combination of a case comprising a body, a hinged cover, a catch for detachably securing the cover in its closed position, and a suitable handle, a plate arranged in the body of the ease and bearing a dial on its face, a coiled-wire gong disposed at the inner side of the plate, a hammer carried by a resilient arm connected to the plate and arranged to strike the gong, an endwise-movable and rotary shaft extending transversely through and ,journaled in the plate and carrying a hand at the outside and a tappet at the inside of the same, and a spring for returning the shaft to its normal position after each depression of the same, substantially as specified.

5. An educational appliance comprising a case having a hollow body portion, a hinged cover recessed in its inner side, disks loosely connected together and adapted to be superposed in the recess of the cover, and a catch for securing the cover in its closed position, a plate arranged in the body of the case and bearing a dial on its face, a coiled-wire gong disposed at the inner side of the plate, a hammer carried by a resilient arm connected to the plate and arranged to strike the gong, an endwise-movable and rotary shaft extending transversely through and j ournaled in the plate and carrying a hand at the outside and a tappet at the inside of the same, and a spring for returning the shaft to its normal position after each depression of the same, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS PATERSON.

IIC 

